Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1887-01-11
THE ORIGIN OF METEORITEs.
Thrown Millions of Years Ago From
Roaring SunS.

| [Richard A. Proctor in Harper's Weeklyl
NJ. Daubree, who is perhaps the highest
| living authority on the subject of the chemi-
| cal structure of meteorites, has recently
made an announcement respecting these
bodies which opens out the first interesting
ideas concerning their significance. AS
| these ideas converge from unexpected di-
rection upon theory which I have long en-
tertained, I take special interest in discuss
| ing them; and 1 believe the readers of Har-
per's Weekly, whether they accept or reject
| NJ Daubree's ideas and my own kindred the
| ory, will find the study of the matter well
| worth their while.
The inquiry, from M. Daubree's point of
| view, may be said to have begun with the
discovery of the celebrated Ovifak meteor
ties las they were called), brought to Europe
| by nj. Nordenskjold pronounced Norden-
shield) from the western shores of Green
land In 1918 Sir John Ross brought back
from his Arctic voyage some knives with
blades made from pieces of iron found by
Esquimaux near Cape York. As nickel was
found in this iron meteoric origin was at
tributed to it. NJ. Nordenskjold's attention
was attracted to some specimens of the same
iron deposited in the Copenhagen museum.
and during his voyage to Greenland in 1870
he sought for the iron masses which the Es-
quimaux described as present in large guam
titles at Ovifak, near Disco Island He col
lected twenty masses, containing not less
than twenty tons of iron. At first these
masses were regarded as meteoric. But III.
Shenstrup, who was sent by the Danish gov
ernment to find out under what condition
the iron occurred, discovered native iron ac
tually imbedded il the basaltic rocks, the
larger grains of iron being precisely similar
in construction to the larger blocks f,revl-
ously found. 1t was thus incontestably de-
monstrated that in matter elected from the
earth's interior there is present at times iron
alloyed with nickel, like meteoric iron, and
having the crystalline texture supposed to be
an exclusively meteoric characteristic.
Now NJ. DaubIee had year or two before
this indicated numerous features of resem-
blance between meteorites and the deeper
terrestrial rocks. He had even shown that
bodies not to be distinguished from meteor
ties can be initiated by partially deoxidizing
these rocks. "Most of the eruptive rocks, +"
he remarks now, presenting his full present
knowledge of the matter, "differ considera-
bly, from meteorites. A great difference also
appears in comparing meteorites with the
masses on which the sedimentary strata i'm
mediately rest. Thus we never find granite
or any of the minerals associated with it in
meteorites. The analysis of meteorites must
be found in the silicate rocks, which origi-
nate in deep regions below the granite. A
ed by the lavas formed from the association
of two silicates, proxene and anorthite fields
par, and which correspond exactly with the
meteorite picked up at Jonzac on the 18th of
June, 1919, and with one which fell at Juvi
mas on the 18th of June, 1891"
This naturally suggests the idea that me-
teorites had their origin under such condi-
tions as exist deep within the interior of the
earth. Only if meteoric masses were origi
nally SO situated, the difficulty naturally
arises how did they ever get out theneea Can
we for moment imagine the occurrence of
eruptive action sufficiently energetic to pro-
pei masses from the interior of planet like
our earth with velocities SO great that the
masses SO expelled could never return to
their parent orb? When we see that the
Ovifak iron masses were elected at any rate
with tremendous energy, though the date OF
tha.r explosion was comparatively recent
certainly following the primary and seconda
ry eras of the earth's life (Which were them
selves recent in her history planet)-the
idea seems certainly rendered admissible that
when the earth was full of that fiery energy
which belonged to her early youth, such alb
solute election, or practically such election
of masses from her interior might well have
been effected. Rather perhaps by geyser ac
ton, having its sources of energy deep down
below the glowing surface, than by any vol
canic action as now takes place, would the
process of election have been effected The
masses elected, though many of them may
have weighed perhaps hundreds of pounds
would of course have been absolutely as
nothing compared with the mighty mass of
the earth.
The same reasoning applies to every other
planet, to the giant planets Jupiter, Saturn,